43
Youngstown YWCA hosts Young Artists week-long camp
Photo
Neighbors | Submitted.Chloe McCoy worked with clay as part of her project during the Young Artists event at the Youngstown YWCA.
Photo
Neighbors | Submitted.Children who displayed their work from the Young Artists event were, from left, (front) Rachel Marshall Gabryel McCoy; (middle) Logan Tesyk, Chloe McCoy, Isaiah Martindale; (back) Christina DeFabio and Abby Marshall.
Photo
Neighbors | Submitted.Logan Tesyk, 11, of Austintown worked on his project while art teacher Heather Seno helped during the Young Artists event at the Youngstown YWCA.
By TIM CLEVELAND
During the early summer, the downtown Youngstown YWCA hosted several STEAM [science, technology, engineering, arts and math] camps. One such camp was a Young Artists camp from June 16-20 for children in grades 4-6.
“The Young Artists mini-camp is part of our Summer STEAM mini-camps for youth,” YWCA youth program manager Jennie Andrews said. “This summer-long program includes one-week and one-day programs. The other camps are Summer Manufacturing Institute, Harmonious Y, KayD Broadcast and Communications, Pinhole Photography, Screen Printing, Puppet Making and Show Day and Stop! Hip-Hop!”
Other one-day workshops include pinhole photography, screen printing and puppet making. A week-long dance workshop is planned for August.
The children took part in a wide variety of art, including sketching, painting, clay sculpting and graffiti art. There were also field trips and the camp concluded with an artwork showcase party.
Andrews said the children benefited and learned new things by participating in the camp.
“Creating art is enjoyable and gives children a sense of accomplishment,” she said. “Beyond that, studies indicate there is a correlation between making art and academic performance. Art education can strengthen problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, and encourage children to express themselves and develop a sense of innovation. Reports show that young people who regularly participate in the arts are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, to participate in math and science fairs, or to win awards for essay or poem writing than children who do not participate in the arts.”
Andrews said there are definitely plans to continue the Young Artists program in the future,
“Youth development has always been a major focus of the YWCA of Youngstown,” she said. “We continually strive to offer quality, affordable youth programs to families in our community.”